Black Friday means big business for online giants such as Amazon, but small businesses at Sheffield’s Moor Market feel like they can no longer compete.
Last year Amazon’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales amounted to $170 billion dollars. They accounted for 18% of the entire Black Friday sales and this year, Amazon’s profits are predicted to rise again.
Independent business owner Mintar Basi, who runs Men’s Streetwear Store MINT in Moor Market, said “every year Black Friday kills us, everyone’s looking for online deals”.
The shop originally opened in 1990 and relocated to Moor Market last year.
He knows his independent business is not the only one feeling the impact of Black Friday, saying: “The highstreets struggling in general, this year the footfall is declining”.
There is huge competition between online retailers and Mr Basi feels small in-person retailers are not given an equal chance to turn a profit over the Black Friday weekend.
He said “It’s dog eat dog out there especially when you’re competing online. It’s just not a fair playing field”
Mr Basi thinks in-person shopping should not be undervalued. Speaking about Moor Market he said “This is a community hub, we are like a big family under the market umbrella. We get a lot of the older people coming through, it’s definitely a social place too”.
The risk of online shopping over Black Friday weekend is increasing. Last year online scams rose by 29% over the period.
In an effort to protect people from bogus websites and calls, Doncaster Trading Standards have issued a clear warning to shoppers looking for a bargain.
“If it’s too good to be true it probably is. Be aware of fake texts and emails about delivery or calls from scammers pretending to be Amazon trying to get bank details”.
